Biodiversity
and Landscapes

Material Topics

Biodiversity: (GRI disclosure: 304-1, 304-2, 304-3, 304-4)

Strategies, policies and programs to preserve forests (acting in the preservation and/or recovery of forest areas and species of fauna and/or flora) and preventing deforestation.

GRI 3-3 (304) Material topic management: Biodiversity

The Biodiversity Environmental Monitoring Program follows the principles and guidelines of researchers and forest management certifications, contributing to the knowledge of biodiversity in topics such as species, trophic levels and degree of preservation. Having this information helps in the development of strategies to minimize possible negative impacts related to management activities.

The company also carries out monitoring to identify endemic, rare, threatened or endangered species and protects High Conservation Value Areas (HCVA) as a way of ensuring the communities’ environmental and cultural values. Annually, the units’ management plans are reviewed.

The abbreviated version of the Public Summary of the Management Plan for the operations of São Paulo can be accessed at https://www.bracell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/resumo-publico-2021-casado_4MB.pdf and Bahia https://www.bracell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Plano-de-Manejo-2022_25-Marco2022.pdf. The publications address the main work areas that ensure sustainable management.

Currently, seasonal monitoring takes place in the Turvinho block, between Borebi (SP) and Iaras (SP), and Sossego II, between the municipalities of Avaí (SP) and Bauru (SP), and on the Nova América I and Ipiranga farms, in Cabrália Paulista (SP), Nova América II, in Botucatu (SP) and Usina Paredão, in Oriente (SP). The Turvinho block and the Nova América I farm are located in the Water Resources Management Unit of the middle Paranapanema, characterized as the largest underground water reservoir in the state of São Paulo.

In  association with the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), in 2021, Bracell disclosed its actions related to the Brazilian Business Commitment to Biodiversity. Specifically, Bracell is committed to the following:

1. Have Biodiversity as a pillar of the Sustainability Strategy;
2. Manage risks and prevent impacts on biodiversity;
3. Promote biodiversity in the production chain;
4. Carry out R&D projects in biodiversity conservation;
5. Monitor fauna and flora;
6. Disseminate biodiversity data;
7. Disseminate knowledge on biodiversity;
8. Have a biodiversity conservation and recovery plan;
9. Conduct initiatives to promote biodiversity in partnership with stakeholders.

Bracell’s commitments are published in this link https://cebds.org/ibnbio/empresa/bracell/.

As a member of CEBDS, Bracell also participates in the Thematic Chambers on Biodiversity and Biotechnology, and Energy and Climate Change, to contribute to the main discussions on the two strategic themes that guide debates in these areas in Brazil and in the international market.

In 2021, the company signed the Business Movement for the Amazon, announced at the Climate Conference (COP26), on the need to conserve the largest tropical forest on the planet – the Amazon. The document is available at this link https://cebds.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Comunicado_Setor_Amazonia_Ingles-1.pdf.

Bracell also has operational practices, which contribute to the preservation of biodiversity. Bracell’s eucalyptus wood comes 100% from reforestation and is certified accordingly. Bracell’s Forest Management Units are located in the States of Bahia, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul – the last two managed by the São Paulo operation. They are part of the forestry operation that involves planting, forest maintenance, forestry harvesting and timber transport activities. The areas of planted and certified eucalyptus forest are located in 35 cities in Bahia (Litoral Norte and Agreste Baiano), in 108 cities in the center-west of São Paulo and in six cities in Mato Grosso do Sul, in areas of the company’s own forestry operation and in partnership areas.

All Bracell management operations are managed in accordance with applicable legal requirements and guidelines aimed at conserving the environment.

Bracell adopts the practice of minimal soil cultivation, mosaic planting with native forests, maintenance of post-harvest residues (barks, branches and leaves) and integrated pest and disease management (MIPD). Among the criteria adopted in forestry activities, the commitments not to operate in conservation areas (permanent preservation and Legal Reserve areas), not to operate in peaty soils and only use areas previously planted with other crops (anthropized areas) stand out. Bracell repudiates deforestation and fires throughout its value chain and has biodiversity as one of the pillars of its Sustainability Strategy.

All land use information in Bracell’s areas is georeferenced and plotted on maps, including Permanent Preservation Areas (APP), Legal Reserves (RL), Conservation Areas (native vegetation exceeding APP and RL), infrastructure, water resources and other uses, as well as the area occupied by the eucalyptus crop. Areas of great cultural and social importance are also mapped. Geoprocessing contributes to improving the utilization rate of planted areas, also helping to improve harvesting processes.

Eucalyptus forests are monitored using satellites and drones to collect information on relief, potential occurrence of deforestation, fire outbreaks and plantation performance. The monitoring system identifies the format and configuration of properties, carries out detailed 3D inventories, points out eventual failures in planting and threats to tree growth, maps areas that are difficult to access and identifies risks and potential impacts for immediate action.

Bracell has a Forest Management System (SGF), part of the e-Forest project, registering farms and providing forestry, harvesting and forest transport services for the company’s operations. The Operational Development area contributes to the improvement of all forestry operations – nurseries, harvesting, transport, roads – through mechanization and automation technologies, process improvement and professional training.

Regarding the integrated management of pests and diseases, Bracell’s premise is to maintain environmental balance, adopting actions that favor natural control, through genetic resistance and the use of natural means. The last alternative is chemical control, adopted when the others, isolated or associated, are not effective. The use of fertilizers is also minimized by keeping forest harvest residues in the field, favoring the increase of organic matter contents in the soil.

 

How the eucalyptus production process is carried out

1. A thorough environmental assessment is carried out in the areas to receive Bracell’s eucalyptus plantations. All must comply with the requirements of the Brazilian Forest Code. Additionally, a socio-economic characterization of neighbors and communities is carried out, allowing Bracell to know potential risks and social opportunities, before planting begins.
2. We select clones that are adapted to local conditions, producing high quality seedlings, to form eucalyptus plantations, the harvesting of which provides the sole raw material.
3. The eucalyptus seedlings grow in ideal conditions for development. The soil in the eucalyptus areas maintains its original levels of fertility and high levels of productivity.
4. Plantations are managed with attention to maintaining environmental quality and controlling weeds, pests and diseases.
5. At seven years old, on average, the trees reach maturity and can be harvested.
6. From the farms, the wood goes to the factory, where it is used as raw material for the production of cellulose.
7. Forest cultivation techniques, combined with the conservation of native forest, allow us to obtain wood to supply Bracell’s factories in a sustainable way, in line with the company’s sustainability commitments.

 

Forest Partnership Program

Part of the wood used in the manufacture of pulp is supplied by partner producers, through the Forest Partnership Program. Bracell assumes the costs of land use planning and forest maintenance, and forestry partners make the area available for eucalyptus cultivation.  In 2021, Bracell added 60% of forest partnership areas in the São Paulo operation, including Mato Grosso do Sul, and more than 18% of partnership areas in Bahia.

Producers need to meet a series of prerequisites, which include presenting the rural property’s regularized and updated documentation, and commit to the determination that the wood harvest is not carried out for six years. For the forestry partners that serve the São Paulo site, the deadlines are determined by Bracell itself, in addition to complying with environmental legislation and IFC (International Finance Corporation) certification standards and principles.

 

Forestry R&D

The research area in genetic improvement is responsible for a well-defined strategy for the short, medium and long term, which guarantees the continuous generation, evaluation, selection and recommendation of superior genetic materials for seedling production and planting on a commercial scale. This strategy has a robust genetic diversity and includes the performance of crosses between superior trees, the evaluation of the offspring in different types of field and nursery trials, up to the recommendation of high-quality genetic material in terms of propagation capacity, forest productivity (adaptation to local climate and soil conditions, and tolerance to pests and diseases) and wood quality required by the industry.

Research in forest management is responsible for the development and recommendation of more efficient silvicultural practices in the areas of:

• Soils (mapping, conservation and preparation for planting);
• Forest nutrition (fertilization and monitoring of the nutritional status of forests);
• Forest protection (monitoring and control of pests, diseases and weeds, with minimal environmental impact);
• Forest ecophysiology (climate monitoring and zoning, landscape planning, carbon sequestration, water use efficiency, etc.).

The Forestry Extension team prepares technical manuals, conducts training, provides routine technical support to forestry operations and analyzes inventory data with a view to corrective actions, with a special emphasis on ensuring the quality of young forests.

Bracell also carries out periodic monitoring of fauna and flora on representative farms, in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, in order to analyze the value of biodiversity based on the composition and richness of species, among other parameters, in the different study areas. Over time, new farms are incorporated into the monitoring.

This work is done with tools such as the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and satellite images.  The company is committed to conserving them, in addition to carrying out actions to restore degraded areas, eradicate exotic species (non-native species, which are organisms that do not occur naturally in an area), and protect and promote the biodiversity of the biomes in the regions where it operates.

GRI 304-1 Owned, leased or managed operating units within or adjacent to environmental protection areas and areas of high biodiversity value located outside environmental protection areas

At the end of 2021, the total area conserved by Bracell was equivalent to 56% of the area covered by the company’s eucalyptus plantations. In Bahia, this percentage was 97%, in São Paulo, 40% and in Mato Grosso do Sul, 24%. In São Paulo, Bracell approved a recovery program to act under three models of activity: planting of native species in pasture areas, soil enrichment in areas in early stages of natural regeneration and elimination of species.

 

Bracell launches One for One Commitment

In the first quarter of 2022, Bracell launched its One for One Commitment. This means that, for every one hectare of eucalyptus planted, Bracell commits to conserving one hectare of native forest. The conserved areas will be in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga areas, located in the three states where Bracell operates, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Bahia. The goal is part of the company’s Sustainability Strategy and should be achieved by the end of 2025.

The commitment will expand Bracell’s conservation area, contributing to the preservation and promotion of biodiversity and ecosystem services. If there is an increase in the company’s eucalyptus plantation areas after 2025, the conserved areas will also be proportionally expanded, maintaining the One for One Commitment.

 

	Bahia	São Paulo
Geographic location	i) In 2021, Bracell had forestry operations in 35 cities in Bahia (north coast and Agreste region).	i) The management units under the control of Bracell São Paulo are located in 108 municipalities in the state of São Paulo and 6 municipalities in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. In two management units, there are High Conservation Value Areas (HCVAs) in the Nova América farm, in Cabrália Paulista, and Rio Verde farm, in Bauru, both in the state of São Paulo. Periodic monitoring of fauna and flora is carried out on representative company farms in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, in order to analyze the value of biodiversity through the composition and richness of species, among other parameters, in the different areas of study. Over the years, new farms are incorporated into the monitoring, depending on the intensity and scale of the company’s operations. Currently, seasonal monitoring takes place in the Turvinho block (between Borebi-SP and Iaras-SP) and Sossego II (between the municipalities of Avaí-SP and Bauru-SP) and on the Nova América I and Ipiranga farms (in Cabrália Paulista-SP), Nova América II (in Botucatu-SP) and Usina Paredão (in Oriente-SP). The Turvinho block and the Nova América I farm are located in the Water Resources Management Unit of the middle Paranapanema, characterized as the largest underground water reservoir in the state of São Paulo.
Underground land that may be owned, leased or managed by the organization	ii) Does not proceed	ii) Does not proceed
Position in relation to the protected area (in the area, adjacent to or containing portions of the protected area) or the area of high biodiversity value outside protected areas	iii) Bracell has an operating area covering part of the Litoral Norte APA (Environmental Protection Area); in Sergipe. These are areas of high environmental value. This classification was defined by Bracell through biodiversity surveys and following the HCV criteria.	iii) In 2021, 302 management units located in the state of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul are adjacent to protected areas. The High Conservation Value Area (HCVA) of the Rio Verde farm (HCV 2 – Landscape-level ecosystems and mosaics) is located in the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of Batalha River, while in the Nova América farm, (HCV 1 – Species diversity) stands out for the concentration of biological diversity including endemic, rare, threatened or endangered species, significant at global, regional and national levels. For the periodic monitoring of fauna and flora, the overlapping of the study areas with the maps of public policies for the conservation of biodiversity in Brazil is considered, such as the Priority Areas for Conservation, the Important Areas for Birds, the Guidelines for Conservation and Restoration of biodiversity in the state of São Paulo, as well as the proximity or overlap with Conservation Units and Buffer Zones. Partnership projects between Bracell and UCs (Conservation Units) in the state of São Paulo, through Fundação Florestal, are being designed to support and protect important remnants of native vegetation, adjacent or not to Bracell SP’s management units.
Type of operation (office, manufacturing, production or extractive)	iv) Forestry production – Planting operations, forest maintenance, forest harvesting and wood transport.	iv) Forestry Operations – Forestry, Timber Harvesting and Timber Transport.
Biodiversity value characterized by the attribute of the protected area or area of high biodiversity value outside the protected area (land, freshwater or marine)	v) Litoral Norte APA (Environmental Protection Area): presents a rich variety of ecosystems and natural landscapes, in which Atlantic Forest remnants, sandbanks, dunes, beaches, coral reefs, wetlands (swamps and lagoons) and mangroves in six estuaries stand out.	v) Nova América farm (HCV 1 – Species diversity): its attribute is the concentration of biological diversity, including significant species at a global, regional or national level: endemic, rare, threatened or endangered, as is the case of the sassafras cinnamon (Ocotea odorifera) for flora and the little field fox (Lycalopex vetulus) for fauna. The monitoring of the attribute occurs seasonally and has already identified more than 50 species endemic to the Atlantic Forest, the biome where the HCVAs (High Conservation Value Areas) are is located, such as the king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) and the blacksmith frog (Boana faber). Rio Verde Farm (HCV 2 – Landscape-level ecosystems and mosaics): this is the largest fragment of Cerradão within a radius of two kilometers and has its value framed in the attribute of ecosystems and mosaics of extensive ecosystems at the landscape level, significant at a global, regional or national level, containing viable populations of the vast majority of naturally occurring species in natural patterns of distribution and abundance.
Biodiversity value characterized by protected status listing (such as IUCN – International Union for the Conservation of Nature)	vi) Fauna monitoring is carried out annually and, by 2021, 506 species have been recorded, including the rocket frog (Allobates olfersioides), the white-winged anambé (Xipholena atropurpurea) and the small bush cat (Leopardus emiliae).  Flora monitoring is carried out every two years, the last edition being in 2021, identifying a total of 485 species. Black sucupira (Bowdichia virgilioides), Jussara palm (Euterpe edulis) and friar’s head (Melocactus violaceus) stand out. In Bahia, there are five vulnerable species and one almost threatened.	vi) To classify the species identified in the company’s biodiversity monitoring, and official protection lists, local legislation and applicable literature are used regarding the degree of threat, rarity, endemism, economic importance and migration of species, among other parameters. For the degree of threat of extinction, the classification is made based on the international level (IUCN – International Union for the Conservation of Nature), national legislation (ICMBio – Red Book of Brazilian Fauna Threatened with Extinction 2018 and MMA Ordinance nº 443/2014) and state legislation (State Decree No. 63.853/2018 and SMA Resolution No. 57/2016). The selection of biodiversity monitoring areas considered maps of public policies for biodiversity conservation in Brazil, such as Priority Areas for Conservation, Important Areas for Birds, Guidelines for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity in the state of São Paulo, as well as the proximity or overlap with Conservation Units and Buffer Zones. Considering the company’s history of monitoring biodiversity, Bracell SP has already identified 19 species of endangered fauna and five of flora, out of more than 600 species cataloged over the years.

GRI 304-2 Significant impacts of activities, products and services on biodiversity

GRI 304-3 Habitats protected or restored

At the end of 2021, the total area conserved by Bracell was equivalent to 56% of the area covered by the company’s eucalyptus plantations. In Bahia, this percentage was 97%, in São Paulo, 40% and in Mato Grosso do Sul, 24%. In São Paulo, Bracell approved a recovery program to act under three models of activity: planting of native species in pasture areas, soil enrichment in areas in early stages of natural regeneration and elimination of exotic species.

At its Bahia’s operations, there are four Private Reserve of the Natural Heritage (PRNH). PRNHs managed by Bracell cover an area equivalent to 8,170 soccer pitches. Lontra is considered the heart of the northern Bahia coast wildlife corridor, covering 1,377 hectares.

Since 2015, Bracell has been running its Degraded Areas Restoration Program, and its methodology has been approved by the competent state environmental agency (INEMA). Native vegetation have been restored using planting techniques, improvements in soil quality and erosion control.

In Bahia, Bracell carries out the Area Regularization Program, conducted in 3 stages:

• Diagnosis – the area programmed for the respective year receives a technical visit to observe the conditions of the soil, existing native vegetation in the area of direct and indirect influence, selection of restoration techniques and organization of the schedule of actions.
• Execution – in the areas under recovery, techniques can be applied to reconstitute slopes, palisade or use of containment bags, and soil disaggregation, deposition of organic matter, transport of brushwood, installation of perches, fertilization, addition of nutrients, fighting ants and planting native seedlings (direct 4 x 4, nucleation, or enrichment).
• Maintenance and Monitoring – for three years, the areas undergo monitoring and actions to enhance the development of installed vegetation with crowning, ant control and enrichment.

At the company’s São Paulo operations, the success of restoration measures has been monitored through reports made available to the competent environmental agencies.

There were no partnerships with third parties to protect or restore areas in 2021. For 2022, partnerships are being developed with Fundação Florestal and the São Paulo State Secretariat for Infrastructure and Environment, for the conservation of more than 64 thousand hectares in Conservation Units located in the municipalities of Bauru, Gália, Alvinlândia, Águas de Santa Bárbara, Anhembi, Capão Bonito, São Miguel Arcanjo and Sete Barras. Four Ecological Stations will be benefited (EE dos Caetetus, EE Barreiro Rico, EE Sebastião Aleixo, EE Águas de Santa Barbara); one Wildlife Refuge Conservation Unit (RVS Aimorés – gleba II – Botanical Garden) and two State Parks (PE Carlos Botelho and PE Nascentes do Paranapanema).

In the Conservation Units, the main risk is forest fires. Support involves the construction and maintenance of firebreaks, in addition to fire control equipment, signposts and workshops for firefighters among neighbors and communities. In addition, an executive bridge project will be provided for primates to cross roads without risk of being run over or isolation between areas. Studies and recommendations will also be carried out to control invasive species that impact local biodiversity, as well as remote monitoring of the fauna, using recorders and trap cameras, contributing to the identification of species and monitoring of environmental quality indicators in conservation units.

GRI 304-4 Species included on the IUCN Red List and on national conservation lists with habitats in areas affected by the organization’s operations

For the classification of species identified in the company’s biodiversity monitoring, official protection lists, local legislation and applicable literature are used regarding the degree of threat, rarity, endemism, economic importance and migration of species, among other parameters. For the degree of threat of extinction, the classification is made based on international (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), national and state level data.

 

Monitoring of species included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list and on national conservation lists with habitats in areas affected by the organization’s operations

 

 

Endangered species – Bahia

 

Endangered species – São Paulo